Whiffletree.



No. 672,856. Patented Apr. 23, I901.

J. w. HUNTER. I I WHIFFLETREE.

1 (Application filed Jan. 15, 1901.)

UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

'JEPHTHA W. HUNTER, OF MOUNT STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I HALF TO WHITE WASHBURN, OF SAME PLACE.

IWHIFFLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.'672,856, dated April 23, 1901.

Application filed January 16, 1901. Serial No. 43,381. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: responding partsin all the figures of the draw:

Be .it known that I, J EPHTHA W. HUNTER, ings. a citizen of the United States, residing at In the drawings, 1 designates the cross-bar Mount Sterling, in the county of Brown and of a pair of shafts or thills 2, the said parts 5 State of Illinois, have invented a certain new being of the usual construction and the shafts and useful Whiflietree, of which thefollowing or thills being provided at their heel ends is a specification, reference being bad therein with eyes 3 to receive the usual thill-coupto the accompanying drawings. lings.

This invention relates to whifietrees; and In carrying out the present invention I emto the object in view is to provide a whiffletree ploy a pair of elbow-levers 4, each of which of such construction that the strain or draft comprises a long arm 5 and a short arm 6. will be distributed on the cross-bar of the Normally the arms are arranged as shown in shafts or thills at points equidistant from the Fig. 1, the long arms .5 extending in opposite center thereof and adjacent to the junction directions and away from each other and the 15 of the cross-bar with the thills or shafts, as short arms 6 extending rearward in a-subcontradistinguished from the ordinary whifflestantially parallel relation to each other. tree, which is centrally connected pivotally to The short arm of each elbow-lever is provided .the center of the cross-bar. at its extremity with a depending spring-cap The invention contemplates the use of a 7, which is substantially cylindrical in form, 20 pair of elbow-levers pivotally mounted at a as best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, and which considerable distance from each other and opforms a housing for an antirattler-spring S. eratively connected by means of a rod which The two elbow-levers are operatively conhas associated therewith antirattler-springs. nected by means of a rod 9, having angular i The invention also contemplates novel end portions forming depending terminal pin- 25 means formountingandjournaling the elbowtles 10, which pass downward through openlevers and holding the same in place on the ings 11 in the short arms 6 of the elbow-levers cross-bar of the thills. and into and through the caps 7. Each of Other objects and advantages of the inventhe pintles 10 is encircled by a coiled spring tion will appear in the course of the ensuing 8, which is housed within the cap 7 and which o description. is seated at one end against the inner wall 12 The invention consists in certain novel feaof the cap, which wall is in reality the end tures and details of construction and arrangeportion of the short arm 6 of the elbow-lever. ment of parts, as hereinafter fully described, A washer 13 is placed on the pintle 10 and illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out held in place by means of afasteningpin 14, 3 5 in the claims. inserted through an opening extending trans- In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is versely of the pintle, adjacent to its extremity. a plan view showing the improved whiffletree The washer 13 is arranged at a short distance applied to the cross-bar of a pair of shafts or from-the lower edge of the cap 7, so as to al thills. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical low for play, and said washer formsa spring- 40 section taken longitudinally of one end of the seat against which the outer or lower end of cross-bar and showing the interlocking means the antirattler-spring 8 bears. on the contiguous faces of one of the elbow By the means just described the terminal levers and bearing-plate, also showing the pintles of the connecting-rod are held in enkeeper and taper pin. Fig. 3 is a plan view gagement with the short arms of the elbow- 45 of the bearing-plate. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan levers and the end portions of the connectingview of one of the elbow-levers. Fig. 5 is a rod are held firmly seated against the upper bottom plan View of one of the keepers. Fig. sides of the short arms of the elbow-levers, 6 is a detail vertical section showing therethus preventing any rattling at the joints belation between one of the elbow-levers and the tween the connecting-rod and the elbow- [00 5o connecting-rod and the antirattler-spring, 85o. levers.

Similar numerals of reference designate cor- Each of the elbow-levers 4 comprises a diskshaped elbow 15, comprising an outer annular flange 16 and an inner annular flange 17, surrounding a central opening 18, which is tapered, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, to fit snugly'around a tapered boss 19, extending upward from the center of a bearing-plate 20. The base-plate 20 is also of disk form and provided with oppositely-extending attaching-ears 21, having openings 22 to receive suitable fasteners 23, by means of which the bearing-plate is secured to the cross-bar 1, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The bearing-plate 20 also comprises an annular flange 24, of slightly less diameter than the annular flange 16 of the elbow-lever, which flange 24 is encircled by the flange 16 when the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 2. Within the flange 24 the upper surface of the bearingplate 20 is dished to form a cup 25, adapted to contain suitable lubricating material, which is thereby supplied to the interfitting parts of the elbow-lever and bearing-plate. Asecuring-bolt or pivot-pin 26 passes through a central opening 27 in the bearing-plate 20 and like openings in the keeper 28 and crossbar 1, the head of the bolt resting upon the keeper, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lower end of the bolt being held by a retaining-nut. The bolt 26 forms the central pivotal connection between the elbow-lever and bearingplate.

Associated with the elbow-lever and bearing-plate is a keeper comprising a fiat body portion 28, which overlies the elbow-lever and is provided with a laterally-extending arm or securing portion 29, provided with openings to receive suitable fasteners 30 and also provided in its under side with a recess 31 to receive and interlock with the adjacent ear 21 of the bearing-plate, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the elbow-levers are operatively connected by means of a rod which has associated therewith antirattler-springs, so arranged as to prevent any rattling of the joints between the con necting-rod and elbow-levers. It will also be seen that the elbow-levers are so mounted that they are comprised between metal bearing-plates and keepers, so that there is no chance for the elbow-levers to wear against the wooden cross-bar. It will further be seen that the strain brought to bear on the elbow-levers is not transmitted to a single pivot pin or bolt, but that the elbow-levers and their bearing-plates have interlocking or intertitting parts which distribute the strain and wear and remove the same from the pivots or bolts; also, that provision is made for lubricating the interfitting parts of the elbow-levers and bearing-plates.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove set forth and accordingly reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A whifiletree composed of a pair of elbow-levers, corresponding arms of which have pendent spring-caps, a connecting-rod having termimal pintles extending downward into the caps, an tirattler-springs housed within the caps and associated with the pintles, and means for fastening the springs in place, substantially as described.

2. A whiffletree comprising a pair of elbowlevers connected for simultaneous movement, bearing-plates upon which said levers are mounted, interlocking flanges on the meeting faces of the levers and plates, and a keeper associated with each elbow-lever and having an interlocked engagement with the bearingplate, substantially as described.

3. A whiffletree comprising a pair of operatively-connected elbow-levers, bearing-plates having oppositely-projecting attaching-ears, interlocking flanges on the meeting faces of of the levers and plates, and keepers associated with the elbow-levers and provided with recesses to receive the attaching-ears of the bearing-plates, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J EPHTHA W. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

N. J. CHAMPE, W. O. PERRY. 

